CHICAGO (WLS) — NASCAR weekend has returned to Chicago for its third year and Grant Park is gearing up for another year of NASCAR action.

The 2.2 mile, 12-turn race track that takes drivers through Grant Park and even along DuSable Lakeshore Drive with the city skyline setting the stage for this unforgettable race.

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Saturday is the NASCAR Xfinity Series – Loop 110. That’s at 3:30 p.m.

Sunday is the NASCAR Cup Series – Grant Park 165. That starts at 1 p.m. with Derrick Rose as the grand marshal. He will give the famous “Drivers, start your engines” command in Grant Park.

SEE ALSO: Street closures for Chicago NASCAR race underway, construction schedule shortened: officials

There are also plenty of free activities all weekend at Butler Field. That opens at 9 a.m. Saturday and 10 a.m. Sunday.

ABC7 caught up with NASCAR Cup series driver Chase Briscoe. He’s from Mitchell, Indiana.

He talked about what makes the Chicago street race challenging, but also exhilarating at the same time and if it’s hard to stay focused when he’s driving through the city.

“Coming out of turn five, I don’t know what the road names are called, but you’re headed back this direction (points to skyline), that’s your background. That’s your sight line going into every corner. It’s definitely unique. There’s nowhere else where we have skyscrapers in the background, but it is really fun. It’s a cool thing for us because it’s just so different,” Briscoe said.

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The Zac Brown Band is performing Saturday, so plenty of excitement leading into race weekend.

Victor Martins (pictured) made good on his early promise in Free Practice to take the Aramco Pole Position Award, a sublime final lap putting the ART Grand Prix driver on top in a tightly fought Silverstone Qualifying.

The Frenchman’s 1:39.731 was good enough to beat Rodin Motorsport’s Alexander Dunne by 0.065s, with Jak Crawford rounding out the top three for DAMS Lucas Oil.

After the early installation laps, it was PREMA Racing’s Sebastián Montoya that set the pace on a 1:41.225.

However, that time was quickly beaten by Luke Browning and then Richard Verschoor, who was fastest by 0.331s over the Hitech TGR rookie thanks to a 1:40.777.

The MP Motorsport driver was quickly dethroned by ART rival Martins, who went to the top on a 1:40.710 after the first set of laps.

Having lost an earlier time for exceeding track limits, Montoya went to fourth on his next lap, while Browning jumped up to sixth. The session was soon Red Flagged, with Rodin’s Amaury Cordeel having spun into a stoppage at the final corner.

When the green light was waved with just over 18 minutes left in the session, the majority of the cars stayed in the pitlane, but a couple of drivers outside the top 10 returned to the track.

One of those was Dunne, and the Irishman set the fastest middle sector on his way to P3, 0.098s off Martins’ time.

The rest of the field returned to the circuit with their brand new Soft tires and there were improvements everywhere. Jak Crawford went fastest on a 1:39.971. But that was beaten by both Martins and Dunne, with the Frenchman in P1 with a 1:39.731.

The drivers then set off on another push lap, but no one could quite match Martins, who took his second Pole Position of the season.

Dunne ended up in second, with Crawford third, Roman Stanek in fourth, and Montoya rounding out the top five. Joshua Duerksen led AIX Racing’s charge in sixth, ahead of Verschoor, Dino Beganovic, Kush Maini, with Leonardo Fornaroli rounding out the top 10.

That means Fornaroli is set to line up on reverse grid pole for Saturday’s Silverstone Sprint Race.

Qualifying Results

As NASCAR prepares to return to the streets of Chicago this weekend, the talk surrounding the race isn’t focused on the on-track action. Instead, fans, industry members and citizens of the Windy City are wondering about Chicago’s future in NASCAR beyond 2025.

The expanse of NASCAR’s original three-year deal with the city of Chicago to hold a street race has come and gone. The deal included two mutual options that will determine whether Chicago will continue to be NASCAR’s home for street racing.

The future of NASCAR in Chicago will be determined by a plethora of factors. It’s worth noting that Lori Lightfoot, the Chicago mayor who was in office when the deal was struck in 2022, is no longer in charge. Instead, it’s Brandon Johnson who could play a major role in the race’s future. Johnson’s senior adviser, Jason Lee, recently praised NASCAR for its community involvement and its dedication to improving the Chicago Street Race — a slight turn from Johnson’s attitude a year ago, when he had little to say about the future of the event.

But politics and positive reviews can only go so far in determining NASCAR’s actions. From a marketing and racing perspective, NASCAR will have to weigh what the Chicago Street Race can provide the sport that other new potential marquee races — whether street races or something else entirely — can’t.

That’s especially important to consider given reports of a potential street race in San Diego or a potential trip to Franklin Field in Philadelphia, where NASCAR would presumably host another stadium race similar to Los Angeles’ Clash at the Coliseum.

Chicago, the third-largest metro area in the country, was undeniably a fantastic choice for NASCAR to hold its first street race. But after two race weekends that have been plagued by rain and a third trending in the same direction, fans have yet to see what a full-fledged race weekend uninterrupted by weather would look like.

If NASCAR believes it can attract a similar demographic of fans to the nearby Chicagoland Speedway in Joliet, Ill. — a track that hasn’t been on the schedule since 2019 but would likely put on a phenomenal show, given the Next-Gen car’s affinity for wider intermediate tracks – then pulling the plug on the street race in favor of a purpose-built racing facility could make more sense.

If NASCAR believes the street race concept can attract new or casual fans in a new setting — aka San Diego — then swapping cities could also be a possibility.

“Whether it be Chicago or somewhere else, I don’t really have a preference,” 2023 NASCAR Cup Series champion Ryan Blaney said in July 2024 regarding street racing in NASCAR. “It’s really whatever city will have us. I think it could be neat, as far as (going) to these major markets of huge cities around the country.”

Perhaps the biggest thing going against Chicago right now is the fact that, in its current state, NASCAR is bolder and more innovative with scheduling decisions than ever before. Gone are the days of stale schedules with few changes and a multitude of mediocre tracks receiving two race dates (which also makes it unlikely that NASCAR would put two street races on the calendar, a suggestion made by Chicago Street Race president Julie Giese).

Over the last seven years, NASCAR has returned to Bowman Gray Stadium and turned Bristol into a dirt race. It’s taken a race to the Los Angeles Coliseum and turned Charlotte’s playoff date into a road course race. And it’s ventured to the streets of Chicago for a discipline of racing once thought to be a world away from stock cars.

But that also means NASCAR isn’t afraid to axe races from the calendar in a relatively abrupt manner. It isn’t always an indictment on the race that’s nixed, but an example of how proactive and assertive NASCAR is when it comes to modern scheduling.

Chicago has been a successful event from the standpoint that NASCAR proved street racing to be a viable avenue for the sport. But if greener pastures are to be found in San Diego, NASCAR is going to have to make the tough decision to move on in favor of another new, trendy race that could be categorized as a modern crown jewel.

That’s not necessarily a bad thing. In fact, it proves that NASCAR has the leverage to host major events and the ability to play around with where and when those major races are held. The Chicago Street Race is, by design, a marquee event, but one that can be swapped out for another marquee event as NASCAR sees fit.

Time will tell whether or not NASCAR returns to Chicago after 2025, but ultimately, NASCAR’s decision to either return to the streets of the Windy City or leave for greener pastures won’t be a shocking one either way the pendulum swings.

–Samuel Stubbs, Field Level Media

An estimated 1,500 vehicles will cross the auction block during
the Florida Summer Special

WALWORTH, WI – July 4, 2025 – (Motor Sports NewsWire) –  Mecum Auctions is heading to Kissimmee, Florida, for the sixth annual Florida Summer Special classic and collector car auction this July 9-12 at Osceola Heritage Park. With an estimated 1,500 vehicles and roughly 100 pieces of Road Art® on offer, the lineup has something for everyone. The Mecum broadcast team is back for the Florida Summer Special with a new addition to the team—automotive analyst Rutledge Wood—and they’ll be live on ESPN+ starting at noon ET Friday and Saturday. The entire auction from start to finish will also be streamed via the Live Block Cam on both Mecum.com and Mecum’s YouTube Channel.

Starring in the Summer Special lineup are several greats from the muscle car scene, including a classic white 1970 Chevrolet Chevelle LS6, a 1987 Chevrolet Camaro IROC-Z with a 5.7L V-8 and a 1966 Ford Mustang Custom Fastbackcomplete with a Supercharged Coyote Gen 3 5.0L V-8 engine. Also joining the lineup is a variety of modern performance behemoths, including a 2023 Dodge Challenger SRT Demon 170 Convertible and a Rapid Red 2022 Ford Shelby GT-H Supercharged with only 768 miles on the odometer.

With its locale in the Sunshine State and its midsummer timing, the Summer Special auction features an array of rides befitting of the theme. A 1978 Fiat Jolly Conversion with a 767cc inline 4-cylinder engine and a striking red exterior is one such warm-weather delight, and a 1969 Volkswagen Type II Bus with a sunroof and racks on top might be ideal for bringing the whole crew to the beach. Whether cruising the coast or hitting the off-road trails, an auction-bound 1970 Ford Bronco Custom is ready for both, and on Friday, a Bruce Meyers-built 1969 Meyers Manx Dune Buggy will also grace the Mecum Auctions stage.

Two collections are set to cross the auction block at the Florida Summer Special as well. The Schroeder Family Collection includes a wide variety of vehicles, from a 2020 Porsche Taycan 4S to a 1970 Dodge Challenger, along with a blast from the more distant past with a 1941 Ford Custom Street Rod. The second and final collection is The Bill and Barb Farwig Collection, which is composed entirely of Road Art®. With 23 pieces in this collection, it is sure to turn heads with its various signs, gas pumps, wall art and more, including a Route 66 Single-Sided Neon Sign and a Tokheim Esso Gas Pump.

For more information on the 2025 Florida Summer Special and all other scheduled Mecum events, visit Mecum.com or call (262) 275-5050. Mecum’s website is updated daily with the latest consignments and includes detailed descriptions and photographs of the vehicles offered, as well as a detailed auction and event schedule.

(All times in Eastern)

1987 Chevrolet Camaro IROC-Z (Lot F207)

2020 Porsche Taycan 4S (Lot S162)

2023 Dodge Challenger SRT Demon 170 Convertible (Lot S299)

1970 Ford Bronco Custom (Lot S144)

Source: Mecum Auctions

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Lando Norris went fastest in a gusty British Grand Prix FP2 session, with the McLaren driver eclipsing the two Ferraris with a healthy margin to close out Friday practice.

Ambient temperatures rose marginally in the break between FP1 and FP2, increasing by around 2C, although the track remained stable at around 38C. As such, the Ferraris demonstrated a continuation of their FP1 pace in the early phases of the second session.

Lewis Hamilton had led the way amid the opening runs on mediums, setting a 1m26.592s on the C3 tyres to conclude the first 20 minutes of the session on top. 

But the order changed when the qualifying simulation laps began to trickle in on the C4 soft tyre, kicked off by the two Mercedes drivers. George Russell opened the flying laps but found less than a tenth on Hamilton’s lap, before Andrea Kimi Antonelli put almost 0.2s on his team-mate – despite losing time with a snap through Club.

Charles Leclerc then turned up the wick with a 1m26.202s, although reported an issue with the front-left that he felt had cost him time. This opened the gates for Norris to post a 1m25.816s to fly to the top of the order with four-tenths in hand over Leclerc.

Charles Leclerc, Ferrari

Photo by: Steven Tee / LAT Images via Getty Images

Lewis Hamilton had backed out of his initial soft-tyre run, but went again to set a time 0.3s short of Norris; Leclerc responded to close the gap, but was unable to join Norris amid the 1m25s. 

Oscar Piastri was fourth, 0.47s down on his team-mate, just under 0.03s quicker than a late effort from Max Verstappen – who reported that his front end was struggling to bite in the high-speed turns.

Antonelli was sixth ahead of Lance Stroll, while Russell’s earlier soft-tyre effort washed out in eighth place, just 0.001s clear of Isack Hadjar and 0.101s better than Liam Lawson as the Racing Bulls completed the top 10.

Carlos Sainz suffered a spin after the opening 15 minutes of FP2, which was put down to a 20km/h (12mph) gust on the exit of Luffield. In that moment, he came close the rear of Hamilton’s car, then was placed under investigation for rejoining unsafely in front of Nico Hulkenberg. 

F1 British GP – FP2 results

Photos from British GP – Practice